Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to electronic devices which are encapsulated by means of a
polymeric encapsulant or potting compound and more particularly, to such devices which
are encapsulated by means of a two part, heat curable silicone resin.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Two part, heat curable silicone resins have been used in various industrial applications
because of their thermal stability, dielectric properties, mechanical properties,
chemical resistance and resistance to atmospheric deterioration. In the electronic
industry, these resins have been used as encapsulants and potting compounds for electronic
devices such as integrated circuit devices and circuit board mounted power supplies.
However, it has been found in certain applications, e.g., as a potting compound for
circuit board mounted power supplies, bubbles often become entrapped in the silicone
during curing and also rise to the surface of the silicone. Such bubbles adversely
affect the reliability of the silicone as an encapsulant or potting material and also
cause cosmetic defects when the bubbles break through the surface of the cured polymer.
The invention has now discovered a modifier for such silicone resins which substantially
eliminates the aforementioned problems and allows for the potting of such things as
board-mounted power supplies with a two part, heat curable silicone resin with little
or no formation of surface bubbles or entrapped bubbles.
Summary of the Invention
[0003] An article of manufacture comprises an electronic device having a heat curable silicone
resin potting compound thereover, wherein the silicone resin is formed by curing a
two-part mixture (Part A and Part B) of relatively high viscosity polysiloxanes. Part
A, comprises a polysiloxane which includes reactive Si-H groups, and Part B, comprises
a polysiloxane which includes reactive -CH=CH
2 groups. Trace amounts of a platinum catalyst are added to either or both Part A and
Part B. The potting material further includes in at least Part A or Part B the following:
in Part A, a low viscosity polysiloxane containing -Si-H groups, or in Part B, a low
viscosity polysiloxane containing -CH=CH groups.
Detailed Description
[0004] The need for improved silicone resins as potting compounds for electronic devices
becomes apparent when one views a potted device wherein the silicone resin has developed
bubbles during curing. Many of the bubbles extend to the surface of the resin material
as well as remaining embedded in the cured resin. The presence of such bubbles not
only causes a cosmetic defect but also adversely affects the reliability of the potting
compound as a protecting encapsulant for the underlying electronic device.
[0005] In general, the novel formulations useful as potting compounds for electronic devices
in accordance with the present invention are crosslinked silicone polymers derived
from heat curing a two-part polymer system wherein one part contains a high viscosity
polysiloxane, e.g., a polydialkylsiloxane or a polyalkylarylsiloxane having reactive
hydride (Si-H) groups and the second part contains a high viscosity polysiloxane,
e.g., polydialkylsiloxane or a polyalkylarylsiloxane having reactive vinyl groups
(-CH=CH
2). The system further includes an organic-platinum catalyst. When the two parts are
heated in the presence of the catalyst they cure to form a crosslinked high molecular
weight silicone polymer. Typical viscosities of the hydride containing part are from
about 750-1250 centipoise while typical viscosities of the vinyl containing part are
from 2500-3500 centipoise.
[0006] In addition to the primary components indicated above, the composition may also include
fillers such as silica, alumina, and/or carbon black. Silica and alumina fillers are
often added in amounts of up to about 30-45 weight percent, while carbon black is
generally added in much smaller amounts such as up to about one weight percent. Part
A (Si-H), is generally mixed with Part B (CH=CH
2), in a 1:1 ratio but may also be mixed in ratios of up to about 2:1. When used as
a potting compound in this form without the addition of the low viscosity (2-100 centipoise)
component, bubble formation upon potting the device remains a problem.
[0007] The feature of the present invention is the addition to Part A of a low viscosity
polydialkylsiloxane or polyalkylarylsiloxane having a hydride group and/or to Part
B of a similar low viscosity polysiloxane having a reactive vinyl group. Typical viscosities
of these additives are from 2-100 centipoise and they are typically added in amounts
of from 5-15 weight percent of the part to which they are added.
[0008] Preferred additives are polydimethylsiloxane having either reactive hydride groups
or reactive vinyl groups, or a polymethylphenylsiloxane having reactive hydride or
reactive vinyl groups. It has been found that the addition of these low viscosity
materials to the commercially available potting compounds substantially eliminates
bubble formation upon curing during potting of the electronic device.
[0009] Parts A and B of the two component heat curable silicone formulations suitable for
use in the present invention may be represented by the following formula:
PART A
[0010]
![](https://data.epo.org/publication-server/image?imagePath=1987/49/DOC/EPNWA2/EP87107214NWA2/imgb0001)
PART B
[0011]
![](https://data.epo.org/publication-server/image?imagePath=1987/49/DOC/EPNWA2/EP87107214NWA2/imgb0002)
wherein n is usually greater than m. When Part A and Part B are combined in the presence
of a platinum catalyst and heat, a crosslinking reaction occurs wherein the hydrogen
atom attached to the silicon atom of the polymer of Part A combines with the vinyl
carbon atom of the polymer of Part B so as to cross link the two polymers and form
the cured potting compound.
![](https://data.epo.org/publication-server/image?imagePath=1987/49/DOC/EPNWA2/EP87107214NWA2/imgb0003)
When the low viscosity additive has a hydride function it is added to Part A so as
to prevent interaction of the hydride with the vinyl group before mixing Parts A and
B. Similarly, if the low viscosity additive is one having functional vinyl groups,
it is added to Part B so as to prevent interaction with the hydride of Part A until
mixing of the two parts. Typically, R
1 to R
6 are low molecular weight alkyl groups, e.g., methyl and ethyl groups or may be an
aryl group, e.g., a phenyl group. The preferred compositions employ low viscosity
additives which have viscosities of from 20-30 centipoise which constitute from 5-10
weight percent of the part to which it is added.
[0012] A typical commercial available two part, heat curable potting material which can
be modified by the low viscosity additives as set forth herein is Dow Corning Sylgard
170. This is a two-part formulation wherein Part A contains a polydimethylsiloxane
having reactive hydride groups and having a viscosity of from about 1000 ± 250 centipoise,
and Part B contains a polydimethylsiloxane having reactive vinyl groups and having
a viscosity of from about 3000 ± 500 centipoise. Also included in either or both Part
A and Part B are small amounts, e.g., several ppm, of an organic platinum catalyst.
Upon mixing Part A with Part B the reactive hydride groups of Part A react with the
vinyl groups of Part B so as to form a crosslinked high molecular weight polymer.
[0013] Suitable additives to this material are a hydride containing polydimethylsiloxane
having a viscosity of from 2-100 centipoise in an amount of from 5-15 weight percent
of Part A and/or a vinyl containing polydimethylsiloxane of similar viscosity and
in a similar weight percent added to Part B. Alternatively, one can employ Dow Corning's
DC-4939 gel two-part system comprising hydride and vinyl containing polymethylphenylsiloxanes
as the major component thereof, together with low viscosity polymethylphenylsiloxane
additives similar in viscosity and amount as set forth above.
EXAMPLE
[0014] An electronic device such as board-mounted power supply is potted with a heat curable
silicone resin formulation in accordance with the following procedure. To Part A of
Dow Coming Sylgard 170 heat curable silicone resin (a polydimethylsiloxane having
reactive hydride groups and having a viscosity of 1000 ± 250 centipoise) is added
a polydimethylsiloxane having reactive hydrides and a viscosity of 30 centipoise in
an amount equal to 10 percent by weight of Part A. This mixture is then combined with
an equal amount of Part B of the Sylgard material which is a polydimethylsiloxane
having vinyl reactive groups and a viscosity of 3000 ± 500 centipoise. Parts A and/or
B contain several ppm of an organic type platinum catalyst which helps initiate the
crosslinking reaction upon mixing Part A with B in the presence of heat. The mixture
is then heated to about 150°C and then cast over the device to be potted which has
been place in a mold to accept the potting compound. The potting material flows onto
and around the device and is held at 150°C on a partial vacuum of about 20" (508 mm)
mercury for 60 minutes, which time is generally sufficient to obtain substantially
complete curing of the silicone resin.
1. An article of manufacture comprising a device having a silicone resin potting compound
thereover, wherein the silicone resin is formed by heat curing a two-part mixture
of relatively high viscosity polysiloxanes designated Part A and Part B, Part A comprising
a polysiloxane which includes reactive -Si-H groups and Part B comprising a polysiloxane
which includes reactive -CH=CH2 groups in the polymer, together with a platinum catalyst in an amount sufficient
to catalyze a crosslinking reaction upon mixing Parts A and B with the application
of heat, and characterized by the inclusion in at least Part A of a low viscosity
polysiloxane having reactive Si-H groups or in Part B of a low viscosity polysiloxane
having reactive -CH=CH2 groups such that upon curing, essentially no bubble formation occurs.
2. The article of manufacture recited in claim 1, wherein the polysiloxanes of Part
A, Part B and the low viscosity polysiloxane are selected from the group consisting
of polydialkylsiloxanes and polyalkylarlysiloxanes.
3. The article of manufacture recited in claim 1, wherein the polysiloxane of Part
A, Part B and the low viscosity polysiloxane are selected from polydimethylsiloxane
and polymethylphenylsiloxanes.
4. The article of manufacture recited in claim 2, wherein the polysiloxane of Part
A has a viscosity of from 2500-3500 centipoise, the polysiloxane of Part B has a viscosity
of from 750-1250 centipoise and the low viscosity polylsiloxane has a viscosity of
from 2-100 centipoise.
5. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 3, wherein the polysiloxane of Part
A has a viscosity of from 2500-3500 centipoise, the polysiloxane of Part B has a viscosity
of from 750-1250 centipoise and the low viscosity of polysiloxane has a viscosity
of from 2-100 centipoise.
6. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 4, wherein the low viscosity polysiloxane
is present in at least one of either Part A or Part B in an amount equal to 5-15 weight
percent of the part to which it is added.
7. The article of manufacture recited in claim 5, wherein the low viscosity polysiloxane
is present in at least Part A or Part B in an amount equal to 5-15 weight percent
of the part to which it is added.
8. The article of manufacture recited in claim 5, wherein the low viscosity polysiloxane
has a viscosity of from 20-30 centipoise and is present in an amount equal to 5-10
weight percent of the part to which it is added.
9. The article of manufacture recited in claim 8, further comprising in the silicone
resin potting compound at least one member of the group selected from silica, alumina
and carbon black.